lutz

12 minutes ago, nyala62 said:

Yes lutz, we need to do something now....otherwise. I'm involving my congressman tomorrow, just to know where exactly is my case. too much waiting, so they don't feel for us? OMG!!!!!

No, they certainly don't.  One thing I will tell you from my experience this time with involving my congressperson, is that for the Privacy Notice release form you will be sent, it will be your spouse (the person in Ghana for whom you are petitioning, in other words the applicant) who will need to sign the form.  I filled out the form for my husband, then scanned it to him and he signed it, sent it back to me, then I in turn sent it to the person in the congress rep's office who handles immigration.  Good luck and keep VJ posted.

I really wonder what is going on at that embassy.  There seems to be no accountability at all.  I got an email today where the writer just assumed something to be true, without knowing, and told me it COULD NOT HAVE Happened, when indeed it did happen - a reaffirmation on my husband's case.

Get your congressperson involved with everything with this embassy.  Someone higher up has to know what is going on there and how people are being treated in this shabby manner.   8 hours waiting?  She signed for it, how come now it disappears?  It's truly discouraging and frustrating, and I believe people higher up need to know what is going on at that embassy.

Yes, it will show that it has been sent back to the NVC with its original decision reaffirmed.

1 hour ago, nyala62 said:

lutz, I received an email reply today from the consulate in Accra that, they don't have our reaffirmed case in their system yet and they will contact the applicant whenever the receive the case. Is it normal for a case to travel for more than a month to Ghana? So which Agency is telling the truth? NVC or the consulate? Please help us with some ideas about this. I will involve my congress man today or tomorrow

 Hello,I  also received an email this morning and was annoyed.  

In the email, it stated the date and pouch number in which my husband's file was sent back to USCIS.  Then, the writer stated that 'it could not have been reaffirmed'.  I had to go into the USCIS website and copy and paste proof that it had indeed been reaffirmed.  

The way these people treat us, as US citizens, is ridiculous.  I would understand the writer saying it has not reached the embassy yet, but to make this definitive statement when he / she doesn't even know anything about the case is ridiculous.  It got me so worried again for nothing, absolutely nothing.

Definitely get your congressperson involved.  I am cc - ing all my correspondence with them with the congressperson.  How can it take a file over one month to reach the embassy?  

Personally, I believe the National Visa Center.  They are just an intermediary where the file stops on its way back to Ghana.  They don't have much to do with it anymore, once its been reaffirmed.  Just the email from the person at the embassy showed me the attitude they have.  To blatantly just say it could not have been reaffirmed shows an arrogance.  The person answering the email  just assumed he or she was correct and stated it to be so without any research or delving into the case.  

As citizens, we have to get the congresspeople involved with this.  Not just a few of us who have been separated for so long, but all of us.

I'm not sure, but I doubt regular processing from countries other than the 7 mentioned will be affected.  Each country has its own staff for these things.

Thanks for this advice.  I did call, and they have been very responsive since then.  

Yes, visa denied, but then reaffirmed by USCIS.  On its way back to Ghana now from the NVC.

16 hours ago, Jenilyn and Awal said:

 Can you call Ghana and ask about the appointment?233506592787

 

i got it from the Ghana embassy site , you have to go through a few operators and sometimes the phones don't work well so just try until you get through and in their time zone also 

Hello, thanks for this number.  I called this morning, but they do not give any information over the phone for immigrant CR or IR1 visas.  They will only allow appointment settings for non immigrant visa.  But thank you anyway, it was worth a try.  I've written to my congress person, so maybe that will speed things along. 

On 1/18/2017 at 9:12 PM, Ebunoluwa said:

 

If all of you contact your senators to inquire about your second interview status then they would all notice that Ghana should answers

their emails as it is such a simple thing to do and don't waste all the senators' time with simple matters of inquiries.
File a complaint, I would not put up with this from Ghana without an official complaint.

I just wrote to my congress person today.  I will also send to Senator as well.

21 hours ago, IcezMan_IcezLady said:

did you try Google?

http://www.ustraveldocs.com/

 Follow the link and the steps to see if it will let you schedule appointment through there.

But I don't know if reaffirmed cases are allowed to use that.. but it never hurts to try.

 

Looks like it is for K-1 visa applicants to fill out DS-160 and pay fees

Yes, it's for nonimmigrant visas, as it states on the website.....thanks.

10 hours ago, Jenilyn and Awal said:

Can you call Ghana and ask about the appointment?233506592787

Thank you very much for this number!  I'm surprised someone has a number to reach the embassy directly.  I will call tomorrow.  

I have been reading though some older posts (2014) about denied CR1 visa that in turn got reaffirmed after going back to USCIS.  That is what happened in my husband's case, no NOIR, just reaffirmed without more evidence needed.

His case was sent back to Ghana from NVC on December 28, 2016.  I've emailed the embassy in Accra, but haven't heard anything back yet about another interview.

My question is:  What is USTravelDocs?  I've read on an older post that the USC of another couple used that avenue to schedule an appointment.  Is this something outdated, not in use anymore?  Anyone with information, I will appreciate knowing something about this.  Thanks.

On 1/13/2017 at 5:56 PM, nyala62 said:

I would like to know how long does it take for a reaffirmed case to reach Ghana for interview? And how long for the Consulate to schedule interview?

Hello, you need to call NVC.  The journey back of a denied file is this:  Back to USCIS (that itself usually takes 6 months to get from the embassy back to USCIS), then the file stays a minimum of 6 months at the USCIS while they investigate the denial.

Once USCIS is finished with their investigation, they either reaffirm or send a NOIR / NOID.

It then starts it journey back to the embassy.  It stops at NVC, so that is who you need to call to find out when it was sent back to the embassy.

I am in this situation.  My husband's file was sent back from the NVC about 3 weeks ago.  I emailed the Accra embassy, but of course, haven't heard anything back yet.

My apologies for the long winded explanation  if you already know all this.  Good luck and keep us posted.  Several of us on this board are in the same situation.

On 1/12/2017 at 10:50 AM, nyala62 said:

lutz ,please did call NVC as planned to check with them on the reaffirmed file's movement to Accra, Ghana? We are at the same stage. 

Hello Nyala, Yes, did call NVC.  The case was reaffirmed on 7 December, sent back to Ghana on 28 December 2016.  

I sent an email to the Accra embassy on this past Friday.  Now I'm just waiting to get a reply from them, which I know may or may not happen.

31 minutes ago, nyala62 said:

lutz, ours was also reaffirmed in December 2016, did you receive a reaffirmation letter from NVC?....I hope we all get interview dates soon. So let us keep each other updated through this forum

Hello, yes we received a letter / email that the case was reaffirmed in early December.  I am going to call the NVC tomorrow to check on the file's journey back to Accra.  I will definitely keep you posted, and please do the same.  Thanks.

My husband's case was also reaffirmed after a 15 month wait.  It was reaffirmed in December 2016, so we too are waiting for it to get back to the embassy in Ghana.  Does anyone know what happens after it returns to the embassy in Accra?  Does the embassy contact my husband or me on when another interview will take place?

Thank you.  Though my husband's case has already been reaffirmed and is on its way back to Ghana, I am going to write the Director to get some answers on why it was denied.

 In the case of my husband's initial denial, he kept asking the CO why she was denying him the visa, and she refused to answer him.  She did not put any reason on the 221g nor the checklist.  His case went back to USCIS and was reaffirmed.  We can only guess what her issues were from the questions she was focusing on .

Hello,

No we haven't hear anything yet from the Ghanaian embassy about a second interview.  My husband's reaffirmation was after yours though.  It was on December 7th, 2016.

May I ask, was it the NVC who told you your case has been sent on to the embassy?

Yes, that's what I will do.  Better to be safe than sorry. 

Thank you, but I know all this already.  He only had one interview, was denied, the case went back to USCIS (no reason for denial on the 221g or checklist).  USCIS reaffirmed his case and now it's on its way back to Accra.

The only thing you wrote that I am not sure what you mean is:  

Do not forget they will not accept any new evidence since his last interview. All evidence must be dated prior to the interview.

I plan on flying there for the second interview.  I will have all our daily Whatsapp calls since his denial, along with proof of our trip to meet in a third country after the denial.  That is why I don't understand your statement about evidence after his last interview (he has only had one interview) not being accepted.   

Can you explain what you mean?  Others have posted that it would be a good idea to bring evidence since his denial.

Thanks for your advice.  When my husband was denied, he was not given a reason.  He kept asking the woman, but she just shunted him out and said I would have to fight.  She didn't even write a reason on the 221g or the checklist.

Because his denial was reaffirmed without an NOIR, I don't know the reason he was denied. 

My husband said the interviewing officer was harping on his child and the relationship he had with the child's mother.  She also kept asking why I came to Ghana in the first place (I had gone to volunteer at an orphanage, that's how we met).

She was also asking him a few times about my friends in the USA.  

I am going to make a packet addressing all these issues, though I don't even know if that's the case, but I believe it is. 

Yes, that's what I'm planning to do. Thank you for the response. I appreciate all ideas.

Yes, I will be there for the interview. However, the embassy in Accra does not allow the US citizen spouse to actually come into the embassy when the beneficiary is being interviewed. All my husband will be able to do is bring my passport in and tell them I am waiting outside.

Can you answer any of my question? Do you have experience on what he may need to bring to the second interview after a re-affirmation? Thank you.

My husband's denied file was sent back to the USCIS, and was then re-affirmed by them, without need for any additional evidence such as for an NOIR.

Of course, I'm happy about this, but now I'm confused about what will happen at the second interview, once his file gets back to Ghana. Will he have to go to the second interview with even more evidence? It's not a problem, we speak everyday, though we haven't seen each other in a year, while we have been waiting for all this to clear up.

Any advice is appreciated. I know he'll probably have to get a new police certificate, and perhaps a new medical (I believe the medical is good for one year).